Palaszczuk says LNP Opposition "struggling for relevance"

WHILE weathering the usual Opposition jibing, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk argued the LNP's leader had been "struggling for relevance" and the party's policy cupboard was now bare.

Confidence became her key word as she sought an "expression of confidence" to secure her government's continued power in parliament for the next three years.

Confidence she would create jobs.

That she would not sell assets.

That she would restore integrity to the state's corruption watchdog and reverse secretive electoral donation laws.

"What was missing for the past three years was confidence," she told the 55th Queensland Parliament in a debate that is expected to go well into tonight.

"You do not instil confidence in state and regional economies by cutting the jobs of up to 24,000 workers.

"You do not instil confidence in business and others who create new jobs by constantly ringing false alarm bells about the state of Queensland's finances and economy.

"And you cannot instil confidence if you spend three years playing he blame game and arguing with anyone who seeks to disagree with you".

Ms Palaszczuk told the chamber that Queenslanders had a stark choice at the January 31 election.

"They had a choice between a party whose long and expensive list of election commitments was based on asset sales and one that had a modest, yet carefully costed and fully funded promises that didn't rely on asset sales," she said.

"It was not a subtle or a vague rejection, it was a comprehensive and a definitive rejection that saw Labor make history by leaping from seven seats in the 2012 election to 44 at this year's election.

"In the post-election period, Queenslanders witnessed the embarrassing spectacle of the leader of the Opposition struggling for relevance.

"But what every Queenslander also saw was the simple numerical fact that the party opposite simply could not form government.

"What's worse and more embarrassing is the equally simple fact the party opposite now has no plans, no policies and no ideas for governing Queensland.

"Once it disowned its previous unmovable commitment to asset sales, it was left with no feathers to fly.

"Yet today it will no doubt try to suggest it should be sitting on this side of the house."

Sure enough, Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg attacked the confidence motion, which he said "almost turned into a comedy routine", as soon as he rose to speak to it.

He said Labor Treasurer Curtis Pitt told this parliament that "no government that achieves less than 40% of the vote can claim a mandate of the people of Queensland in reference to things that have gone past".

"As they bask in the glory of being in government, that they received 37.5% of the primary vote," he said.

"We accept the fact that because of our electoral system, which is optional preferential, they were able to achieve 44 seats in this parliament.

"That does not mean this government has an unfettered right to claim an absolute mandate of the people of Queensland.

"Indeed their mandate is unclear… their mandate because of their lack of plan is at very best confused.

"I would like to thank the one million people that actually voted for the LNP in Queensland.

"Those opposite do not have an absolute, unfettered mandate.

"It's very clear we cannot support a government that does not have a plan.